The time: Late in the next century. The place: A damaged, battered Earth, struggling to rebuild after a devastating alien invasion. The stars: The Shockrockets, an elite quadron of specialized aircraft - a hybrid of human and alien technology that repulsed the alien invasion and now guards Earth against threats from all quarters. To Alejandro Cruz, a young, machine-mad, blue-collar Los Angeleno, the Shockrockets pilots are Earth's favored few -- the masters of their destiny, who make the world tick instead of enduring shortages and hardship. But when, in a fluke, Cruz becomes a Shockrocket pilot himself, he learns what it's like from the other side -- the pressure, the responsibility, and the power of being a major player on a global stage.